Public Safety and Neighborhood Services Committee Meeting - June 10, 2021
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Public Safety and Neighborhood Services Committee Meeting - June 10, 2021
The Public Safety and Neighborhood Services Committee met on June 10, 2021, to consider four agenda items: a resolution supporting a Compassionate Alternative Response Team (CART) for homelessness, a hearing on 24-hour public bathroom access, an ordinance to make permanent a cap on third-party food delivery fees, and a follow-up hearing on anti-Asian violence (continued). The meeting included extensive public testimony and detailed discussions on funding, coordination, and implementation.
Public Comments & Testimony
Item 1 – CART Resolution
- Over a dozen callers voiced strong support for CART, urging funding and implementation. Speakers included representatives from the San Francisco Youth Commission, Housing Rights Committee, HomeRise, Coalition on Homelessness, and other community groups. They cited the need to replace police response with compassionate, peer-led teams and highlighted the trauma caused by current systems. Several callers emphasized that CART should be funded by reallocating from the SFPD budget.
- One caller (Francisco De Costa) expressed skepticism, arguing that the city must follow laws and standards and that taxpayers are not satisfied with quality of life issues.
Item 2 – Public Bathroom Access
- Callers overwhelmingly supported expanding 24-hour pit stops. Speakers included representatives from Glide, the Coalition on Homelessness, TNDC, and residents. They described the lack of bathrooms as a human rights issue and were shocked to learn of planned reductions. One caller (Adam) noted that a pit stop in Eastern Soma was removed without community notification.
- No callers opposed bathroom access.
Item 3 – Food Delivery Fee Cap
- Several callers, including delivery drivers (DoorDashers) and the Latino Restaurant Association, opposed making the 15% fee cap permanent, arguing it would reduce driver earnings and increase consumer prices. Pastor Lawrence Van Hook warned it would harm African American communities.
- Other callers, including restaurant owners Lori Thomas and Brian Tublin, supported the cap as necessary for restaurant survival and called for clear contract terms. The Golden Gate Restaurant Association endorsed the legislation with amendments.
Discussion Items
Item 1 – Resolution Supporting CART (Compassionate Alternative Response Team)
- Supervisor Haney introduced the resolution, noting that police respond to 179 homelessness-related calls daily and that 45% of C-priority calls are homelessness-related. Community presenters (Gwen Westbrook, Wesley Saber, Adriana Camarena, Vinnie) detailed the proposal: a 24/7 non-police response team prioritizing peers with lived experience, costing an estimated $6.825 million annually (based on 65,000 calls, 52 staff, and 500 hours of training).
- Chief Nicholson and Chief Pang from the Fire Department raised concerns about coordination, medical response, and potential delays. They noted that the existing Street Crisis Response Team (SCRT) and community paramedicine programs already handle many similar calls. Supervisor Stephanie expressed concern that CART and existing services had not fully worked out integration and questioned the $6.8 million ask. She emphasized the need for collaboration.
- Supervisor Haney clarified that the resolution is a statement of support and that operational details remain to be resolved. The committee heard that a separate direct hotline and a two-pronged approach (immediate response and community capacity building) are part of the design.
Item 2 – Hearing on 24-Hour Public Bathroom Access
- DPW Director DeGraffenreed and Program Manager Jonathan Gumwalk presented data: the Pit Stop program grew from 24 to 60 sites during the pandemic, but as of May 2021, only 36 sites remained (25 permanent, 11 temporary). Of these, 14 sites operate 24/7. Annual costs for the current configuration are about $13 million. The proposed mayor's budget includes only $4.6 million, which would eliminate all 24-hour bathrooms and return to pre-pandemic levels (25 sites, three 24/7).
- The Budget and Legislative Analyst (BLA) reported that in May 2020, 55 pit stops (136 toilets) existed; in May 2021, 36 pit stops (123 toilets) remain. The UN standard (one toilet per 50 unsheltered persons) is met during daytime (123 toilets vs. 104 needed) but not at night (only 22 toilets). Removal of 20 temporary restrooms was attributed to funding constraints, not declining use. Supervisor Haney called the planned elimination of 24-hour bathrooms “brutally unacceptable” and committed to restoring funding through the budget process.
- Public comment emphasized that bathroom access is a human right and that cuts would harm public health and dignity.
Item 3 – Ordinance to Remove Sunset on Food Delivery Fee Cap
- Lee Hefner (Supervisor Peskin’s office) presented the ordinance, which would make permanent the 15% cap on delivery commissions and other protections (menu price setting, no unauthorized listings). He noted ongoing amendments to allow separate contracts for non-delivery services (e.g., marketing). The Golden Gate Restaurant Association supported the legislation. Opponents (delivery platforms, drivers) argued that price caps harm restaurants, drivers, and consumers, citing examples from Oakland where consumer prices rose $2 per order.
- The committee discussed timing: the sunset clause is tied to 60 days after 100% indoor dining resumes. To avoid a gap in protection, the committee agreed to duplicate the file, continue the duplicated file to call of the chair, and forward the original ordinance to the full board with a positive recommendation.
Item 4 – Hearing on Anti-Asian Violence
- Chair Maher noted that the Human Rights Commission is still working on a comprehensive citywide plan, so the hearing was continued to the call of the chair. No public comment was received.
Key Outcomes
- Item 1: Motion to forward the resolution supporting CART to the full Board of Supervisors with a positive recommendation passed unanimously (3-0).
- Item 2: Motion to file the hearing (concluding the hearing) passed unanimously (3-0). Supervisor Haney expressed intent to work on restoring funding for 24-hour bathrooms in the budget.
- Item 3: Motion to duplicate the ordinance, continue the duplicated file to the call of the chair, and forward the original ordinance to the full board with a positive recommendation passed unanimously (3-0). This ensures no gap in the fee cap while amendments are finalized.
- Item 4: Motion to continue the hearing to the call of the chair passed unanimously (3-0).
Meeting Transcript
10th meeting of the Public Safety and Neighborhood Services Committee. I'm Supervisor Gordon Maher, the chair of the committee, and I'm joined by Vice Chair Catherine Stephanie and committee member Mad Haney. Thank you to this committee's clerk, John Carroll. And I'd also like to thank SFGO TV for staffing this meeting. Mr. Clerk, do you have any announcements? Yes, thank you, Mr. Chair. The minutes for today's meeting will reflect that committee members have participated in this remote meeting through video conference to the same extent as though physically present in their committee room. The board recognizes that public access to city services is essential, and the board invites public participation in the following ways. First, public comment will be available for each item on this agenda, either channel 2678 or 99, as well as sfgovtv.org are streaming the public comment call-in number across the screen at this time. Each speaker for each item will be allowed two minutes to speak unless stated otherwise by the chair. Comments and your opportunities to speak during any of today's public comment periods will be available to you via phone by dialing 415 655000 one. I'll repeat that. After you've dialed that number, you'll be prompted to enter a meeting ID. Today's meeting ID is 1875 7333. Following that, you should press the pound button twice to be entered into the meeting. When you're connected, you will hear the meeting discussions, but your line will be muted and in a listening mode. When your item of interest comes up, dial star, followed by three to be added to the speaker line. Best practices are to call from a quiet location to speak clearly and slowly and to turn down your television, your radio, or your streaming device, or whatever you're using to access today's meeting so that we don't have feedback issues. Alternatively, you may submit your public comment in writing in either of the following ways. You may email them to myself. I'm the Public Safety Neighborhood Services Committee Clerk. And my email address is J-O-H-N, period C-A-R-R-O-L-L at SFGO V dot or G. If you submit your public comment by email, I will forward your comment to the supervisors on this committee, and I will also include your comments on uh within the public file that you are commenting upon. You may also send your written comments via U.S. Postal Service to our office in City Hall. Our address is one Dr. Carlton B. Goodlit Place, room 244, San Francisco, California 94102. Of course, all this contact information appears on the front page of every board and committee agenda as well. So you can consult it there. Finally, items acted upon today are expected to appear on the Board of Supervisors agenda of June 22nd, 2021, unless otherwise stated. Thank you, Mr. Clerk. Um, can you please call item number one? Yes. Agenda item number one is a resolution supporting the establishment of a 24 hours a day, seven days a week, compassionate alternative response team in the city and county for a safer and more effective response to homelessness. Members of the public who wish to write public comment on this resolution should call the public comment number now. I'll repeat that number. 415-655-0001. Enter the meeting ID of 187-513-7333. Press the pound symbol twice to connect to the meeting, and then press star followed by three to be entered into the queue to speak. A system prompt will indicate that you have raised your hand. Please wait until the system indicates that you've been unmuted and you may then begin your comments. Mr. Chair. Thank you, Mr. Clerk. Thank you, Supervisor Haney, for sponsoring this resolution and your leadership.
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